Separation apparatus



Jan. 9, 1940. E. EISSMANN SEPARATION APPARATUS Filed July 16, 1935 ZSheets-Sheet l fmrzzvrafi E, E/ssmann Jan. 9, 1940.

, E. EISSMANN SEPARAT I 0N APPARATUS FiledJuly 16, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I J3 J0 J3 7 1 31/42 fli J4 Elks/110.1

' Patented 'ilant fi l m PATENT. OFFICE 2,186,151 SEPARATION APPARATUS ErlchEissmann, Dresden, Germany, asslgnor to "Universelle Clgarettenmaschinen-Fabrik J. O. Muller & 00., Dresdemfiermany Application July 16, 1935, Serial No. 31,703 In Germany August 30, 1934 7 Claims. (.Cl. 209-139) This invention relates to an apparatus form portions of raw tobacco leaves.

It is a purpose of theinvention to secure an 6 efiective separation between the leaf portions and I the stem and rib portions and at the same time remove dust and non-usable crumbled tobacco from the leaf portions.-

Comminuting devices for raw tobacco leaves are .10 known wherein the purpose is to comminute the 20 to a conveyor or a feeding device such as a shaking table which it passes to a channel in whim is a current of air. This current of air is of such intensity that it entrains only the lighter leaf portions while the rib portions 35 are discharged from the channel. 'There are various disadvantages inherent in such a construction and arrangement so that'a proper separation of .the rib portions and the leaf portion!" is not secured.

3o A purposeot the present invention is to pro 'vide an ascending channel having one or more successive enlargements therein which enlargements are provided at their lower ends with outlet ,openings for receivingtthe ribs and stems,

3 thereby removing them from the eflects of the air current.

A purpose of the present invention is to take advantage of the enlargements provided in the channel which produce eddy currents which in 0 turn cause the heavier portions, which in the present case are the rib and stem portions, to be hurled against the wall of the enlargement and slide downwardly along this wall and then are discharged through the outlet openings provided 5 at the lower endoi the enlargements.

It is a purpose of the invention to provide a structure whereby it is possible'to withdraw the ribs and stems from the current of air ascending in the channel so that only the lighter leaf por- 50 tions are entrained by saidcurrent ofair. It is particularly desirable that compressed-air be introduced by means of a fan or similar construction into the channel below .the inlet point oi the material, the air effecting the separation of the u rib and leaf portions in the enlargement, while atirealeaii portions which reach the upper end of 7 rating the leai'portions from the stem thechannel maybe withdrawn into an adjoining receptacle or hopper by means of a supplementary suction air conduit.

Itis a further purpose of the invention to solve 5 the problem otseparatingthe lea! portions from the stem and rib portions by means of two air conduits which may readily be soproportioned relative to eachother that an eddy formation of adequate intensity is positively produced in the 1 aenlone of said conduits and also that 11 of the upwardiy carried leaf portions may be positively withdrawn from one of the chan- .erd into the hopper will befi'simultaneously freed from the hopper througlra' si'uic'e or other outlet device.

With the above and other objects in view 26 which will become apparent as the. description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of elements detailed below, claimed in the claims and shown in the accompanying drawings which illustrate an ex- 80 emplary embodiment of the invention.

Figures 1 and 1A. show a vertical diagrammatical view through the apparatus in association with a comminuting device.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section along the sec- 86 tion line II--II of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, of a modified construction.

Referring to the drawings, the comminuted leaf portions and stemportions received from 40 the stem or rib removing device I are delivered to a conveyor belt 3 through the funnel shaped passageway 2. Theconveyor belt 3 passes over rollers 4 and 5 andcarries the tobacco particles in the direction'shown by the arrows. The upper 46 guide roller- 5 is disposed adjacent a channel 6 and is located somewhat above the lower roller 4 so as to cause the tobacco-particles to travel in an ascending direction. The channel 6 is provided with enlargements 1 which may be of any 60 desired number. The conduit 8 leads from the fan 9 and opens into the channel 6 below the point-at which the tobacco particles are delivered by the conveyor 3.

The air current produced by the fan 9 is di- 66 rected against the leaf portions which fall over :the top of the roller and the lighter portions are carried along thereby up through the channel 6 while the heavier portions fall downwardly into a collector chamber l0.

In order to prevent the leaf portions from being.

blown back upon the conveyor belt 3, a wall H is provided as shown adjacent to the lower enlargement I. The air current will also entrain the lighter rib portions and when a whirling of the tobacco portions takes place in the range of the upper enlargement 1 the heavier portions such as the ribs will be carried to the wall thereof and will slip back along the latter. An annular passageway I2 is provided in the constriction between the two enlargements 1 and the down- .wardly sliding rib portions are delivered into this passageway. The latter opens into a hopper 3, H which leads into the rib and stem collecting chamber i0, A tubular bend I5 is provided at the top channel 6 and this connects the channel 6 with the hopper-like chamber I6. The latter is subdivided by means of a sieve-like wall |1 made of wire gauze or the like and in back of which is arranged the suction chamber |8 havthereof leads to the exterior with filters being' interposed which are not shown upon the drawings.

The current of air coming from the fan 9 is so directed that it will vary the leaf portions separated from the-ribs up to the bend I5. From here the tobacco leaf portions are carried along by the suction current produced by the fan 23 in the chamber Hi. In the chamber IS the dirt is separated from the leaf portions which are stopped by the sieved surface |1 along which they slide downwardly so they may be delivered through the air sluice 2| into a suitable receptacle.

The embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2 shows the channel 6 provided with enlargements which are of circular cross section. However, as is shown in the cross section in Figure 3, the channel 6 with the enlargements therein may be of rectangular or of any other desired cross sectional configuration.

The comminuting device illustrated more particularly in Figure 1A is driven from the main drive shaft 24 which in turn is driven by an electric motor or the like. Mounted upon the main drive shaft 24 is a sprocket wheel 25 over which the chain 26 passes. The latter passes over a sprocket wheel 21 fixed upon shaft '28 which in turn is joumalled in the frame of the stem removing machine and carries the pronged roller 29. The chain 26 also passes over the sprocket wheel 30 fixed on shaft 3| which is also journalled in the frame of the stem removing machine and carries the knife roller 32. The

- gripper-like knives 33 upon the roller 32 engage ers 35 and 36 by means of the conveyor belt 39 passing over guide roller 38. The chain 26 after passing over sprocket wheel 30 passes over the guide wheel 40 and returns to sprocket wheel 25. A sprocket wheel 4| is mounted upon the shaft 3| and is connected to the sprocket wheel 43 upon shaft 44 by means of a sprocket chain 42. The shaft 44 is journalled in the machine frame. The conveyor belt guide roller 38 is driven from shaft 44 by means of the gears 41 and 48 and the feed roller 35 is driven from the shaft 44 by means of the gears 45 and 46. Gear 46 is mounted on the axle 49 which carries the feed roller 35 and gear 46 engages gear 50 mounted on axle 5| of the feed roller 36. The

gear 50 engages gear 52 which in turn actuates gear 53 mounted upon the axle 54 which carries the feed roller 31. The main drive shaft 24 also carries the sprocket wheel 55 which is connected with the sprocket wheel 51 by means of a sprocket chain 56. The sprocket wheel 51 is mounted upon the axle 58 of the fan 23. The axle 58 also carries a sprocket wheel 59 over which the chain 60 passes which in turn passes over the sprocket wheel 6| which is fixed on the shaft 62 of guide roller 6 for the conveyor 3. The shaft 62 also has fixed thereto sprocket wheels 63 and 64. The fan 9 is driven over the sprocket wheel 63 through the 1 medium of the sprocket chain and the sprocket wheel 64 is connected with the sprocket wheel 61 by means of the chain 66. Sprocket wheel 61 is mounted upon the shaft of the air sluice 2|.

The operation of the above described apparatus is believed obvious from the description above given.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for separating tobacco leaf and stem portions comprising an ascending classifying passage, a compressed air fan for producing an air current for driving the'leaf portions upwardly in said passage, said passage having a discharge opening at the lower end thereof, for the heavier tobacco portions, such as the stem portions, a hopper with which the upper end of said passage communicates, a substantially upright separating screen located in said hopper, a suction passage communicating with said hopper at the rear of said screen, a sluice closure provided in said hopper, a suction fan operative in said suction passage and said suction fan being so regulated with respect to said compressed air fan that the compressed air current can raise the leaf portions just to, a transition point between said classifying passage and said hopper while the suction air current extends to said transition point to engage such raised leaf portions.

2. An apparatus for separating tobacco leaf and stem portions comprising an ascending classifying passage having enlargements therein, means associated wth said enlargements for separating stem portions, a compressed air fan for producing an air current for driving the leaf portions upwardly in said passage, a hopper with which the upper end of said passage communicates, a

substantially upright separating screen located in said hopper, a-suction passage communicating with said hopper at the rear of said screen, a sluice closure which is airtight provided in said hopper, a suction fan operated in said suction passage and said suction fan being so regulated with respect to said compressed air fan that the compressed air current can raise the leaf portions just to the transition point between said classifying passage and said hopper while the suction air current extends to' said transition point to engage such raised leaf portions.

3. An apparatus for separating tobacco leaf 7 and stem portions comprising in combination, an ascending classifying passage, a compressed air fan for producing an air current for driving the leaf portions upwardly in said passage, said passage having a discharge openingat the lower end thereof, for the heavier tobacco portions such as the stem portions, a hopper with which the upper end-of said passage communicates, a substantially upright separating screen located in said hopper, asuction passage communicating with said hopper at the rear of said screen, a sluice closure provided in said hopper, a suction fan operative in said suction passage and said suction fan being so regulated with respect to said compressed air fan that the compressed air cur-' rent can raise the leaf portions just to a transition point between said classifying passage and said hopper while the suction air current extends-to said transition point to engage such raised leaf portions.

4. An apparatus for separating tobacco leaf and stem portions comprising an ascending classifying passage having constrictions therein, outlet means for the stem portions located adjacent a constriction in said passage, a compressed air fan for producing an air current for driving the leaf portions upwardly in said passage, a hopper with which the upper end of said passage communicates, a substantially upright separating screen located in said hopper, a suction passage communicating with said hopper at the rear of said screen, a sluice closure provided in said hopper, a suction fan operative in said suction passage and said suction fan being so regulated with respect to said compressed air fan that the compressed air current can raise the leaf portions just to a transition point between said classifying passage and said hopper while the suction air current extends to said transitionpoint to engage such raised leaf portions.

5. An' apparatus for separating tobacco leaf and stem portions comprising a classifying passage, a compressed air fan for producing an air current for driving the leaf portions through said passage, said passage having a discharge opening for the heavier tobacco portions such as the stem portions, a hopper with which one end of said passage communicates, a separating screen located in said hopper, a suction passage communicating with said hopper at the rear of said screen, airtight outlet means for the leaf portions of the tobacco freed from dust located in said hopper, a suction fan operative in said suction passage and said suction fan being so regulated with respect to said compressed air fan that the compressed air current can raise the leaf porwhich the upper end of said passage communicates, a substantially upright separating screen located in said hopper, a suction passage communicating with saidhopper at the rear of said screen, a sluice closure provided in said'hopper,

a suction fan operative insaid suction passage and said suction fan being so regulated with respect to said compressed air fan that the compressed air current can raise the leaf portions just to a transition point between said classifying passage and said hopper while the suction air current extends to said transition point to engage such raised leaf portions.

'7. An apparatus for separating tobacco leaf and stem portionscomprising an ascending classifying passage having enlargements therein, outlet openings for the heavier tobacco portions such as the stem portions located adjacent one of said enlargements, said outlet openings being formed by a tapering of the passage wall, which is :then overlapped by a corresponding. widened adjacent portion of the passage wall to form an intermediate annular passage-way, a compressed air fan for producing an air current for driving the large portions upwardly in said passage, a hopper with which the upper endof said passage communicates, a substantially upright separating screen located in said hopper, a suction passage communicating with said hopper at the rear of said screen, a sluice closure provided in said hopper, a suction fan operative in said suction passage and said suction fan being so regulated with respect to said compressed air fan that the compressed air current can raise the leaf portionsjust to a transition point between said classifying passage and said hopper while the suction air current extends to said transition point to engage such raised leaf portions.

ERICH EISSMANN. 

